Back to Thomson's
book, one thing that was interesting to me was his contention that while folk
music did help people deal with death, pop generally did not. Of course, how a
song should help, and which songs did, and that some songs were helpful even
though they did not seem to earn it, was all up for debate.
One point that was
mentioned, but possibly not explored enough, was that death is less
immediate for us. Modern medicine is better, life expectancy is longer, and
while media allows us to know about catastrophic events, they happen at a remove.
So, is it that
shallow pop fails, or is it perhaps that it should focus on other things? Maybe
we don't need as many songs about death now as we need songs about alienation
and connection, and image and individuality. If contemporary music has a role
to fill in contemporary times, it seems like the most natural thing in the
world that the scope of that role would change with the times.
Thomson got off on
the wrong foot with me by making a grossly inaccurate My Chemical Romance
reference, and then he was dismissive of them overall. He was also quite
dismissive of "Emo". Without getting into what defines emo and
whether he was even using the term correctly (I am still a few months away from
feeling confident in talking about that), I have to take exception with the
dismissive attitude.
There are a lot of
young people now who feel alienated, alone, and without a place in society.
They have doubts about ever being able to find love, or satisfaction, and
sometimes even whether life is worth living. There are many bands that put
words to those feelings, and give encouragement to them. Death is not the
specter here; the enemy is the misery of life, for which death appears to be a
relief. I don't like that things have gotten that way, but it's there, not for every
teenager, but for a lot.
And yet, what these
teens are saying over and over again is that these bands saved their lives.
They post the lyrics, because the lyrics are beautiful and because having someone
beautifully express what they are feeling helps soothes the ache. Also, over
and over again, these bands tell them to live, to not harm themselves, and to
be proud of who they are. So, I think a need is being met.
It is odd to me
that as many times as Thomson admits that people need different things at
different times, he seems so hard-nosed about what he will consider helpful.
One thing that I
was thinking about, between yesterday and today, is that despite being very
religious, I don't like my music to be religious. Well, let me walk that back.
In church I sing hymns, and I many of them are very meaningful to me. When I
went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I enjoyed it. My mother loves them,
but I am pretty much always listening to rock, and I kind of hate Christian
rock.
I can see different
camps believing that is because Mormons aren't really Christians, or because
Christian music is horrible, and I lean more towards the latter, but one thing
that I have really responded to are songs that question. They are looking for
meaning, but they don't have it. I remember liking Audioslave and Linkin Park for this.
Maybe I just think
the Christians rockers are too smug, or perhaps it doesn't feel like the best
way of expressing faith to me. For example, while I do love Jesus, I generally
do not refer to him by merely his first name, and I would never consider
honking to be an appropriate and meaningful way of expressing that love.
It may be
meaningful for some people, and Christian music may be meaningful for some
people, and that's okay. I will say I think "Love Song For A Savior"
by Jars of Clay is kind of creepy, and its use in the Christian Mingle ad is
even more creepy.
There are songs
that relate to death that have touched me deeply. Yes, that includes the entire
Black Parade album. I disagree with Thomson that My Chemical Romance
glorifies death, but they do face it a lot. You know, maybe that makes sense,
given that the band was formed as a direct result of the 9/11 deaths. So there
is death on Bullets, and death on Revenge, and then you get The
Black Parade and if it was ever not clear that death songs end up being
about life, it becomes clear here. And I have written about that before.
There are a few
other songs that come to mind, and I have written about some of them before
too.
"Like A
Stone" by Audioslave: I used it in a talk in church once. Again, this is a
questioning one, not an answer one, but it is powerful, and it makes sense. "On
my deathbed, I will pray to the gods and the angels, like a pagan, to anyone
who will take me to heaven." Okay, I am not a pagan, and I only pray to
God, but that's because I believe it. If you don't know, it is reasonable to
reach out, and to find what will work. I empathize with the search.
"Tears In
Heaven" by Eric Clapton: Based on very specific circumstances, the
questions that it raises are nonetheless questions that many people can relate
to. Will you recognize me? Will I know you? There is also an ache that many can
relate to. I miss you. "Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure, and I
know there'll be no more tears in heaven."
"A Heart To
Hold You" by Keane: This really hit me after my Zio Paolo died. It's not
like he we spent a lot of time together, but when we did his love for me was so
evident, and that was new for me. He died so suddenly, and at a time when
everything else was so bad, and he was gone. "When you're lonely and sad,
if you think of the times we've had, just the thought will bring you back to
me."
"Kids In The
Street" by the All American Rejects: This is not specifically about death,
but it became about my childhood friend Josh, after he died, at that same bad
time. "A glory night is a story saved, mark the chapter, but turn the
page."
"Won't Give
In" by the Finn Brothers: This is more general, and it doesn't even have
to be specifically about death, but there is a power of connection there, and
that is no small thing. "What does it mean when you belong to someone,
when you're born with a name, when you carry it on."
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